Of Friends
by personalitynumberseven
Summary: Two drabbles on Chuck/Nate friendship. Inspired and includes New Haven Can Wait's ending scene. Spoilers, if you're avoiding.
1. Better Than Nate

Nate's a horrible friend, Chuck muses, as he sits in his limo, alone, watching Brooklyn and Nate walk away, happily chatting.

It's not the first time he's done that. Abandoned Chuck for someone else, someone more interesting. Chuck's a selfish, nasty person, and Nate gets sick of that sometimes, and when he happens to find someone that he can say more than three sentences to, he thinks he's found his new best friend, and happily bounces off to that someone else. Leaving Chuck behind.

But Chuck lets him. When Nate shouts as him and glares at him, and walks away, Chuck keeps silent. He goes back to his limo, to his suite, to his girls and his drinks, his routine, just without Nathaniel. And nothing's different, just that he spends a little more time inside. Because it's not long, until Nate appears in his limo too, accompanies him to his suite, to his girls, to his drinks. Chuck lets him because he's the only one that's willing to be beside him, and he's the only one he's got.

In that way, maybe that one way, Chuck thinks, he's better than Nate. For once. He's a lot better at being a friend. Because friends are supposed to be accepting. They're supposed to be beside you, to be there for you no matter what. To help you when you're down. To care for you. Chuck's done all that, for Nate.

Nate's much too dreamy to be a friend. He accepts Chuck, when there's nothing new around him. He's beside Chuck, when there're no distractions. He's been there for Chuck, but not always. He cares for Chuck, in that practised, routine way. Nate's been a substandard friend to Chuck.

But Chuck lets him. Because, deep down, he thinks that Nate knows all of this. And friends are supposed to allow you to grow. Because even though Chuck is a better friend than Nate, he's a much worse person, so maybe the two are in inverse proportions, he thinks. Because no matter how many times Nate abandons him, he'll always come back. And that's enough.

Nate's a horrible friend, Chuck muses, but he's his best friend.

**(A/N Because he is! x) Nate's been really mean to poor Chuck a lot. But then again Chuck's not the nicest, so yup.)**


	2. Best Friends

Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass are best friends.

Both of them know that. Even when Chuck pisses Nate off with his ruthless and selfish ways. Even when Nate abandons Chuck for Carter Baizen. Even when Chuck sleeps with Blair behind Nate's back. Even when Nate punches him. Even when the two of them push each other away, until everyone's sure that they can't be friends anymore. They know they'll always be best friends.

So, even when Nate walks away with Dan Humphrey, to take the train back to Manhattan, even when he tells Chuck and himself that maybe, he doesn't need Chuck as much anymore, both boys know, deep inside, that they'll always be best friends.

Because Chuck is a selfish bastard. But even the most selfish people need companions, and he's found his in Nate, Serena and Blair. They're all his heart can hold, and Chuck Bass doesn't adapt to change easily. And Chuck needs Nate, to drink with him, to stand beside him, to share his girls with him. Chuck needs Nate to look like the Prince Charming he is, and show everyone just how imperfect he is himself. Chuck needs Nate, to bully and manipulate, and get mad at him when he finds out. Chuck needs Nate, when he's too broken, too tired to face life anymore, to just sit beside him and hand him his favourite scotch, to accept his silently running tears, because even selfish bastards have a heart.

Because Nate is the perfect boy. But even perfect people need companions, and he's found his own little perfect group in Chuck, Blair and Serena. These are the people in his life that he will always go back to, no matter where in life he ends up. And Nate needs Chuck, to be there when he's sick of his new toy, to give him a distraction from the guilt of abandoning someone. Nate needs Chuck and his vices to help him smooth over his own imperfections, to show everyone how he's perfect. Nate needs Chuck, to put a little control into his life when he can't pick up the courage, even if it pisses him off. Nate needs Chuck, when he's become too jaded about the Upper East Side life, to just sit beside him and hand him another drink, to accept his silently running tears, because even perfect people break down.

Because nobody can replace Chuck for Nate, and nobody will replace Nate for Chuck. Because for two flawed people, they manage to hold each other up pretty well. Because at the end of the day, best friends forever means something, even if it's only a silly thing you scribbled on a star because Serena and Blair did it too.

Because Nate's star is in his favourite shoebox, and Chuck's star is in an empty bottle of his favourite scotch.

Because they're best friends.

**(A/N I was lazy to post both into different drabbles, and they're kind of related so I thought I'd just group them under one. Chuck and Nate fascinate me though :) Eh. They're not really meant to be read together, so yup, pinch of salt.  
The star thing is a tad random, but I can picture the two girls doing it and demanding that they do it too. So yeah.**

**I'm very tempted to do a piece on Serena and Blair too, and lop it under here, but I don't really have the time or energy. So we'll see what comes up :D)**


End file.
